Comb



Patented Jan. 20, 1942 UNETED STATES PAT T OFFICE 19 Claims.

This invention relates generally to combs. More particularly, my invention relates to the class of combs shown and `described in my copending application Serial No. 317,467, filed February 6, 1940, for Combs, and adapted to treat the hair or scalp by applying oils or other suitable liquids thereto during the combing action.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a novel. comb of` the class described, which shall possess certain novel and improved features of construction, representing an advance over the comb disclosed in my said co-pending application Serial No. 317,467. l

Another object of my invention is to provide a comb construction of the class described, hav ing improved means for directing the path of flow of oil from a reservoir to the teeth of the comb, and for controlling the speed of such flow.

Other objects. of my invention will, in part, be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

Certain features described but not claimed in this application are described and claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 359,408, filed simultaneously herewith and in my co-pending application Serial No. 317,467, led February 6, 1940, of which the present application is a continuation-in-part.

The invention accordingly, consists in the feav tures of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one or more of the various possible ernbodiments of my invention;

Fig. 1 is a front elevational View, partly sectional, of a portion of a comb, constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. l.;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of a portion of a comb illustrating a modied form of my invention;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevational View thereof;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, I have illustrated in Figs. l and 2 one form of my invention in which a comb I0 of conventional design is employed, which may have the usual type of teeth II relatively closely spaced and teeth I2 relatively widely spaced, the said teeth II and I2 being integral with and depending from a back In accordance withl the present invention, I have provided certain selected teeth, in this case, alternate teeth I2a of the relatively widely spaced teeth I2, with a plurality of grooves llitransversely disposed with respect to the length of the said teeth I2a. The said grooves I6 are spaced from ea-ch other, along the length of the teeth, beginning at a point adjacent the fre'e ends of the teeth I2a and extending upwardly for any desired predetermined distance, such as, for eX- ample, that shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

On one surface of the back I4 of the comb, I provide a longitudinally extending main. oil reservoir 20 the bottom wall 2a of which, is recessed below the surface of the said back I4.

A protective wall 2I raised above the surface of the back I4, surrounds the upper side wall 2 la, and the end side wall portion 2Ib` of the reservoir 2|) and tapers from the said end portion 2Ib inwardly and downwardly toward the surface of the back I4, and in the direction of the teeth. A lower raised ridge 22 completes the side wall surrounding the reservoir to prevent the oil from overflowing from the reservoir 2li to undesired surface portions, when the comb is tilted in any direction. The said ridge 22 instead of being formed in a straight line as the corresponding upper part of the wall 2| is so constructed and arranged as to form the reservoir 20 into substantially three sectors A, B and CI into which the oil will be separated to thus avoid too large a congregation of oil at one part of the reservoir when the comb is tilted.

It is noted that the reservoir 2i! is open at the top to the surrounding atmosphere to insure the flow therefrom in the manner soon to be eX- plained.

To hold the supply of oil in the reservoir 20, the bottom wall 26a thereof, is provided with a chain of interconnected grooves 25. It is noted that the said grooves 25 are of such width that the oil in the reservoir 2i) will beheld therein by capillary attraction. Any suitable arrangement of the grooves 25 may be employed, such as for example, that shown in the drawing, which I have found to have given satisfactory results.

Adjacent the ridge 22 and in the bottom Wall of the reservoir 2B, I provide a groove 23 deeper than the grooves 25 and so arranged that the oil from the grooves 25 will flow into the groove 23.

To direct the flow of oil from the reservoir 2B to the teeth |2a, I provide the following construction.

Communicating with the sections A, B and C of the reservoir 20, and with the groove portions 23 adjacent thereto, I provide grooves 26, 21 and 28 respectively. 'Ihe central vertically disposed groove 26 also communicates with a lower horizontally disposed groove 29 which, in turn, communicates with a pair of horizontally disposed grooves 30 and 3|, positioned slightly below the groove 29. The groove 21 leading from the sector B communicates with the groove 3U, while the groove 28 leading from the sector C communicates with the groove 3|. is provided with a groove 33 running along the length thereof, and terminating at a point on the tooth near the uppermost-transverse groove I6, and communicating at the upper end with the grooves 30 and 3| as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

It is thus seen from the above described construction that oil from the reservoir 2|] will flow down the chain of grooves 25 just described into the groove 23 and into the grooves 33 to subsequently flow down the outer surface of the teeth |2a, to be drawn olf by the hair during the combing action.

The grooves 26, 21 and 28 are disposed within and below recessed areas 35, 36 and 31 respectively.

Similarly the grooves 29, 3i) and 3| are surrounded by recessed areas 38, 39 and 40 respectively communicating With the said recessed areas 35, 36 and 31 as shown. Each groove 33 of the teeth |2a is disposed within recessed areas 4|, the said recessed areas 4| communicating directly with the recessed areas 39 and 49.

By surrounding all the oil carrying grooves 25 to 3| and 33 with recessed areas as above described, any overflow of oil from the said grooves will enter the said recessed areas and thus be prevented from spreading to undesired surfaces of the comb. It is also noted that due to the fact that the oil carrying grooves are disposed below the recessed areas which are, in turn, disposed below the surface of the comb, any loose hairswhich might normally be picked up by the comb during the combing operation will be prevented from pulling oil from the grooves to flow along the hair to be deposited on undesired surface portions of the comb.

As a further precaution against undesired overow of the oil from the grooves 29, 30 and 3|, or from the recesses surrounding the same, I provide the following construction.

Disposed below the groove 29 and recessed area 38 surrounding the same, isa recessed area 45 communicating with the recessed areas 39 and 49,

vand surrounding an oil pocket 46. The recessed area 45 also communicates with the recessed area 38, and with a recessed area 48 surrounding a groove 41 in a tooth |2b in alignment with the said pocket 4E. It is noted that the groove 41 communicates with the pocket 46 and that the tooth |2b is also provided with transverse grooves 6 similar to those provided in the teeth |2a. It is therefore seen that should there be an overflow of oil from the groove 2t or from the recess 38 or from the recesses 39 or 4|), the oil will run into the pocket 46 and after lling the same, will flow down the groove 41 and on the surface of the emergency tooth |212 to be effectively transferred to the hair.

Similarly,rin order to take care of any possible overflow when the comb is held vertically with Each tooth |2a the sector C of the reservoir 20 lowermost, the

recessed area 40 is extended to terminate in an enlarged area 49 having a pocket 50 therein, the said pocket 50 communicating with a groove 5| in a recessed area 52 of a tooth |2c similar in construction to the teeth |2a and |2b.

Should the comb be held with the sector B of the reservoir 20 lowermost, I provide an enlarged area 53 forming an extension of the recessed area 39 and having a pocket 54 therein. The said pocket 54 communicates with a groove 55 in a recessed area 56 of a tooth |2d similar in construction to the teeth |2a, |2b and |2c.

I have found that, in accordance with my invention, satisfactory results are obtained when I so construct that portion of the back |4 of the comb that it is backwardly angularly disposed with respect to the remainder of the back of the comb, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. By such construction, when oil is supplied to the reservoir 20, while the comb is lying flat on itS side, the oil from the reservoir 20 will start to iiow into the chain of grooves and down the teeth so that when the comb is picked up for combing use, it will be in readiness to transfer oil to the hair.

It is well known that combs are generally made of materials such as hard rubber or the like, which are capable of generating static electricity when used for combing, due to the frictional contact with the hair. I have also discovered that the static electricity thus generated is effective for aiding the oil film in passing from the teeth of the comb to the hair. In accordance with my invention therefore, the comb teeth |2a, |2b, |2c and |2d have been so constructed and arranged as above described, to take full advantage of the static electricity generated by the comb. However, to prevent the generated static electricity from acting upon the oil in the reservoir 20 to be drawn out therefrom to undesired parts of the comb, I provide a metallic strip 60 which may be imbedded in the material of the comb and which is designed to project outwardly from the back |4 thereof, so that it will be in direct contact with the fingers or the hand of the user of the comb. 'Ihe metallic strip 60 will thus discharge the generated static electricity from the area of the reservoir 2|).

In Figs. 3, 4 and 5 I have shown a modied form of my invention in which I employ the same conventional type of comb as shown and described in connection with the Figs. 1 and 2 form of my invention, namely the back I4 and the teeth I2.

However, instead of the reservoir 20, I provide on the frontsurface of the comb, a reservoir 10 of a different type. This reservoir 10 comprises a main oil reservoir 1| open at the top tothe atmosphere and of a predetermined depth and v'Ha of the main reservoir 1| and the adjacent portions of the walls 12a of the reservoirs 12 I provide a channel 13 having a bottom wall 13b of the same depth as the bottom walls 1| b and 12b.

Each auxiliary reservoir 12 communicates with the channel 13 by a relatively narrow opening 14, while the lower horizontal portions of the wall 11a adjacent the channel 13 is provided with a plurality of spaced slits or openings 15 forming points of communication between the reservoir 1l and the channel 13.

A raised wall H at each end of the recessed area surrounding the reservoirs 12 protects possible overflow of oil when the comb is turned. It is thus seen that the oil from the main reservoir 1l will now into the channel 13 through the slits and from the channel 13 to the auxiliary reservoirs 12 through the openings 14.

It is noted that each reservoir 12 is in alignment with a selected tooth 18 or 11 and that on opposite sides of each tooth 11 there is a tooth 18 of different construction from that of the teeth 'I6 and 11.

Each of the teeth 18 and 11 are provided on the front surface thereof with a recessed portion 19 running along the length of the teeth to a point spaced from the free ends thereof. In these recessed portions 19 I provide a groove 80 running lengthwise of the teeth as shown. In each tooth 16 the groove 80 runs upwardly to and communicates directly with a corresponding auxiliary reservoir 12, so that the oil from the main reservoir 1I, which has filled the auxiliary reservoir 12 will iiow down the front surface of the said teeth 15.

If desired transverse grooves 8l spaced from each other along the groove 8U may also be provided on the front surfaces of all the teeth 16 and 11 to retard the too rapid flow of oil down the said teeth.

Disposed below the reservoirs 12 and in alignment therewith and With each tooth 11 is a through aperture comprising the part 82 on the front surface of the comb and a part 83 on the rear surface of the comb, the said parts 82 and 83 being interconnected by a capillary neck 84 with the rear part 83 being disposed slightly below the front part 82. Each front aperture part 32 is provided with a surrounding recessed area or oil pocket 85, while the rear aperture part 83 is surrounded with a similar recessed area or oil pocket 86 on the rear surface of the comb. The front recessed areas 85 are each connected to the groove 88 of the corresponding tooth 11 and with the corresponding auxiliary reservoir 12 by a groove 88. It is also noted that a horizontally disposed groove 89 interconnects the pockets 85 with the grooves 88 of the teeth 16 and that the said groove 89 is surrounded by the same recessed area Il as the reservoirs 12.

At the rear surface of the comb, as shown in Fig. 4, each opening part 83 communicates directly with a vertically disposed groove 81,-which in turn interconnects with a horizontally disposed groove HJS. The rear surfaces of each of the teeth 'i8 are provided with an arrangement of vertically and horizontally disposed groovesv |89 and 9U set in recessed areas 9i, similar to the grooves 8D and 8| on the front surfaces of the teeth 1'6. Each pair of grooves H19 communicates directly with a corresponding horizontal groove |88, the said grooves |08 being provided with surrounding recessed areas |05 to take care of possible overflow of oil from the said grooves |08.

It is noted that the portion of the back I4 of the comb in which the reservoirs 1I and 12 are disposed maybe tilted backwardly as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing for the same purpose and function as that described in connection with the tilting of the back I4 in the Figs. 1 and 2 from my invention.

It is thus seen from the above described construction that When a desired supply of oil is placed in the main reservoir 1l oil will be delivered down the front surfaces of a selected set of teeth and at the same time the said oil will also be directed to and down the rearv surfaces of a second alternate group of selected teeth. In this way oilv may be applied to all areas' of the hair during the normal combing action.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to' in said back forming a reservoir for receiving oil, said reservoir having bottom and side walls and being substantially entirely open at the top to the surrounding atmosphere, a plurality of grooves in said bottom wall designed to hold oil in said reservoir and means for directing the ow of oil from said reservoir to selected teeth.

2. A comb according to claim 1 in which the said grooves in the bottom wall of said reservoir are relatively narrow and are angularly arranged with respect to each other whereby to retard the flow of oil from the reservoir to said teeth.

3. In a comb of the class described having teeth and a back, the combination of a recessed area in said back forming a reservoir for receiving oil, said reservoir having bottom and side walls and being substantially entirely open at the top to the surrounding atmosphere, a plurality of grooves insaid bottom wall designed lto hold oil in said reservoir and means for directing the flow of oil from said reservoir to selected teeth, said last named means comprising a groove interconnecting said reservoir with said selected teeth.

4. A comb according to claim 3 in which the said groove interconnecting said reservoir with said selected teeth is formed in a recessed area to catch the overflow of oil from said groove and to prevent the same from spreading over undesired surfaces of the comb.

5. In a comb of the class described having teeth and a back.' the combination of a longitudinal recessed area in one surface of said back forming a reservoir for receiving oil, said reservoir having bottom and side walls and being substantially open at the top to the surrounding atmosphere and being so shaped as to provide a plurality of reservoir sectors into which the oil in the reservoir will be distributed, a plurality of grooves in said bottom wall designed to hold the oil therein, and means for directing the flow of oil from said reservoir to selected teeth, said last named means comprising grooves communieating at one of their ends with each reservoir sector.

6. A comb according to claim 5 in which the said grooves are formed in recessed areas adapted to catch the overflow of oil therefrom and to prevent the same from spreading over undesired surfaces of the comb.

7. A comb according to claim 1 in which that portion of said back, in which the said reservoir is formed, is angularly tilted backwardly with respect to the plane of the comb, for the purposes set forth.

8. A comb according to claim 1 in which that portion of said back, in which the said reservoir is formed, is angularly tilted backwardl'y with respect to the plane of the comb, for the purposes set forth and in which the bottom wall of said reservoir is angularly tilted away from the direction of the teeth for the purposes set forth.

9. In a comb of the class described having teeth and a back, made of rubber or similar material lcapable of generating static electricity, wherein an oil reservoir is provided and in which means are employed for directing the flow of oil from said reservoir to said teeth to be ultimately transmitted to the hair or scalp of the user during the combing actionthat improvement which comprises providing a strip of electrically conductive material, so vpositioned as to normally come into contact with the hand of the user to thereby discharge the static electricity which is generated during the combing action.

10. In a comb of the class described having teeth and a back, the combination of an elongated recessed area in one surface of said comb and disposed in said back, forming a main reservoir for receiving oil therein, said main reservoir being completely open at the top to the surrounding atmosphere, a plurality of spaced auxiliary reservoirs disposed below said main reservoir, and certain selected teeth having grooves therein running lengthwise of the said teeth, said auxiliary reservoirs communicating with said main reservoir and with said grooves.

l1. In a comb of the class described `the combination according to claim in which means are provided for transferring oil from certain of said auxiliary reservoirs to the opposite surface of said comb from that of said reservoirs and means for directing'the flow of said transferred oil down selected teeth.

12. In a comb having teeth and a back and which is designed to treat the hair or scalp with oil or the like during the combing action, the combination of a recessed area in one surface of said comb forming a reservoir for receiving oil therein, and means for directing the flow of oil from said reservoir to the opposite surface of said comb.

13. In a comb having teeth and a back and which is designed to treat the hair or scalp with oil or the like during the combing action, the combination of a recessed area in one surface of said comb forming a reservoir for receiving oil therein, means for directing the 110W of oil from said reservoir to the opposite sur- -face of said comb and means for directing'the ow of oil from said opposite surface of said comb down selected teeth.

14. In a comb having teeth and a back and Cil which is designed to treat the hair or scalp with oil or the like during the combing action, the combination of a recessed area in one surface of said comb forming a reservoir for receiving oil therein, and means for directing the flow of oil from said reservoir to the opposite surface of said comb, said last named means comprising a through aperture in said comb disposed below said reservoir.

15. In a comb having teeth and a back and which is designed to treat the hair or scalp with oil or the like during the combing action, the combination of a recessed area in one surface of said comb forming a reservoir for receiving oil therein, and means for directing the fiow of oil from said reservoir to the opposite surface of said comb, said last named means comprising a through aperture in said comb disposed below said reservoir, said aperture comprising a pair of relatively wide portions on opposite sides of the comb interconnected by and communicating with a relatively narrow portion.

16. In a comb having teeth and a back vand which is designed to treat the hair or scalp with oil or the like during the combing action, the combination of a recessed area in one surface of said comb forming a reservoir for receiving oil therein, and means for directing the flow of oil from said reservoir to the opposite surface of saidl comb, said last named means comprising a through aperture in said comb disposed below said reservoir, said aperture comprising a pair 4of relatively wide portions on opposite sides of the comb interconnected by and communicating with a relatively narrow portion, said relatively wide aperture portions being at different levels with respect to said reservoir.

17. In a comb of the class described' havingl teeth and a back, the combination of a recessed area in saidback forming a malin reservoir for receiving oil, said reservoir having bottom and side walls and being entirely open at the top to the surrounding atmosphere, oil carrying grooves on the outer surfaces of said teeth, a first oil passageway communicating with said main reservoir and a second oil passageway interconnecting said first passageway with said grooves.

18. In a comb -of the class described having teeth and a back, the combination according to claim 17 in which the said second oil passageway is substantially at a right angle to the axes of said teeth.

19. In a comb of the class described having teeth and a back, the combination of an elongated recessed area in said back forming a main reservoir for receiving oil, said reservoir having bottom and side walls and being entirely open at the top to the surrounding atmosphere, oil carrying grooves on the outer surfaces of said teeth, a plurality of oil passageways communieating with said reservoir, and a second plurality of oil passageways interconnecting said rst plurality of oil passageways with said grooves.

SAMUEL KIRSCHENBAUM. 

